Alvdis
by Tatharwen
Summary: She never got the chance to marry up in society. Her mother left when she was just coming into her womanhood. She never even learned to dance. Alvdis has accepted the fact she'll live to be an old maid, but then she moves to the city to earn money for her poor family. She never knew two fractured wrists would change her life this much. Loki x OC, AU, Not Beta-ed, Rating May Change.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N -** **This fic is un-beta-ed. If you see problems, feel free to tell me in a review or a PM, but don't flame. **

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"Lovely, graceful, beautiful Alvdis. I love you," my father said, grasping the side of my face with one massive hand. I'd always been tiny, and he was gigantic, so his hand was almost the size of my whole face. "You know I would not do this if it weren't necessary."

"Yes, father. I know." I put my own hand over his and looked into his eyes. He was about to cry. If I was being honest with myself, I wanted to fall to his feet and weep, but I couldn't. Not now.

I was being sent to the city, to try and make money for my family. I had four brothers and two sisters, as well as myself and an aging grandmother and uncle to care for. My father had his pay as a soldier, and two other children had menial jobs in the village, but it was not enough to get by on. Myself being the eldest and most mature, I was obviously the one that would've been chosen to leave.

"Alvdis…" He wanted to say more, I could tell, but he didn't need to.

"I love you too, father." At this, the battle-hardened, grizzled warrior broke down and wept. I knew he was thinking of his wife, my mother, who had left him this same way seven years ago and never came back. I still missed her sometimes, but I'd learned to live without her. I stood there beside him, pressing my hand to his, until he finished.

Gravely he lifted me onto the horse he'd prepared for the occasion. We were poor, so I did not have an escort to protect me, but there was a small dagger in my saddlebag, though I had no experience with it. I sat on the grey beast sidesaddle, as was appropriate for a woman, and leaned down to give my father one last kiss on the forehead. I did not know when I would be returning. I just realized the early morning dew on the grass had soaked through my slippers and made the hem of my dress wet.

He smiled at me as I cantered away, even until I was long out of sight.

The road to the city was a long one, over hilly grasslands that faded softly into the sky on the distant horizon. Fortunately, I was a good rider and my horse didn't tire easily, so I was able to arrive in good time to the capital. As I passed through the gates, I looked up at the sky. Judging by the sun, I figured darkness would fall in just two hours. That left me just enough time to find my way to the palace and inform those there that I was ready to work.

"Girl, get out of the way! Move, wench!" a rough voice yelled close to my ear. I jumped and looked around. I had inadvertendly been blocking the way of the Princes and the Warriors Three, as well as the renowned Lady Sif, who had been riding out of the city. All movement in the square had stopped; all eyes were on me.

Blushing red as a beet, I nudged my mare on and cantered quickly to the farthest possible edge of the road, allowing them to move on. Two guards stayed behind as the crowd dispersed. They strode angrily over to me, swords drawn.

"Dismount, wench," one growled. "You are charged with offense of members of the Royal Family. The punishment is removal of the right hand." The other brute quickly overpowered me and dragged me into a quiet alcove, displaying the underside of my pale wrist. The fading sunlight glinted off the sword's polished metal and bile rose up in my throat, but I quickly forced it down. Just as the sword was about to cut into my flesh, I heard the voice of an angel come to my rescue.

"Guard! Stay your blade." It was no angel, I discovered, but that of Prince Loki himself. "Did I tell you I had been offended? You are dismissed from my service. Return to your homes, both of you."

Chastened, they did as they were told. I fell to my knees on the ground before the Prince's gigantic black charger, utterly grateful. "Thank you, your highness, thank you, thank you. I can never repay you, my lord, never." I soon realized I was babbling and shut my mouth, embarrassed.

He bid me stand, and I did as quickly as I could manage. I avoided eye contact, as was proper for a girl of my station. I could feel him looking me up and down. After a few seconds, he cupped my chin in his rough hand and forced me to look at his face. I stifled a gasp; he was incredibly handsome.

"I don't know why I saved you. You really are nothing special."

I didn't know what to say. "I- I mean-"

He gripped my chin tighter, and I began to feel pain. "Spit it out, girl."

Slightly frightened, I quickly said, "Your highness, what I mean to say is, I thank you nonetheless."

Prince Loki looked me over once more, let go of my chin, and leapt back onto his horse. He galloped off without a further word, and even though he couldn't see me, I curtseyed as he left.

My faithful gray mare had remained where she was throughout my whole ordeal, and as I walked back to her, I massaged my sore chin.

Since I couldn't get back onto the horse by myself, I led her to the palace stables where a groom took her without question. I informed another servant of what I had come to do, and he led me swiftly to the personal quarters of Queen Frigga.

He knocked on the door, and after a moment the Queen herself appeared at the door. He stepped back into a deep bow, and I knelt into the deepest curtsey I could manage. She bid us stand, and we did. She invited me inside and made the other servant stay in the hall, saying "We would only be a moment."

I followed her into her room, and was surprised to find the Allfather lounging in an armchair next to the largest bed I'd ever seen. I immediately dropped into another curtsey; my knees touched the floor and I blushed, embarrassed at my rough attire. I said nothing, however, and hoped he would not think me lesser for it.

Thankfully, he said nothing – I realized he was sleeping. Much to my relief, the Queen had seen none of what I'd done, for she was rearranging things on her vanity.

"Your name is Alvdis, is it not?"

"Yes, your highness."

"You seem like a nice girl. I expect you are quite familiar with housework and the like?" She raised a brow at me, but in a kind manner.

"Yes, your highness. Back home, I've kept house in place of my mother for years." After the words left my mouth, I wished to take them back; Queen Frigga didn't need to hear about my life.

But I was not chastised. Instead, she smiled warmly at me. "Good. I expect you will want to know what all I shall have you do." I nodded. "We exit these chambers at 7:30 precisely every day, and I need you to be here at 6:30, for your job includes assisting me with my hair and apparel. After we leave, you'll need to clean this room, and the two others on this corridor – my son's rooms. If you finish that and there is still time left in the day, you are to find me and await further instruction. That is all."

After a moment, she added, "Are there any other skills you wish for me to know about before I take you on as my chief handmaiden?"

I was torn. I had a plethora of homemaking skills, but I didn't want to seem full of myself in front of the queen. I finally decided to say, "I make dresses, and I cook well."

She seemed genuinely delighted. "Oh!" she exclaimed. After thinking it over for a moment, she added, "In that case, how would you feel about making breakfast for the royal family in the morning?"

The chance to make breakfast for the _entire _royal family tomorrow? It would be a lot of food, but no more than I made daily for my family back home. "I would be delighted, your highness. It is an honor."

"Thank you. You are dismissed." She nodded her head and turned back to her vanity. I curtseyed quickly and dashed out of the room. The man who'd led me here was still waiting in the hall, and without prompting showed me the way to the room I'd be staying in. They were remarkably close to the royal family's rooms, but he explained to me that "if you are called upon in the night, you will be able to come to your master's or mistress's aid faster if you are sleeping close to them."

He gave me the key and promptly left. Once inside, I gasped. This one room was bigger than my entire house back home (granted, our house was a small one). The small bag I'd taken with me was sitting on the bed, but there were several dresses already in the wardrobe. I stifled another gasp as I fingered the fabric – nothing near what a royal would wear, but still nicer than anything I'd ever seen. If the servants were dressed this nicely, how wealthy must the nobles be?

I rinsed myself off, changed into my nightgown, and slept more peacefully than I had in years.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N - Just wanted to remind everyone to review because it keeps me going and gives me motivation to write more, and if I write more, you get to read more, and that's a win/win, right? Right.**

**Disclaimer: I do not claim to own any character(s) herein other than Alvdis, and the characters that I do not own are the property of their respective owners. I am not making money off of this particular work of fanfiction. **

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I made sure to wake up at five-thirty the next morning, so I'd have enough time to fix my appearance and have a light breakfast before reporting to the Queen. I chose a plain, beige gown, and the only jewelry I wore was a thick gold necklace my father had bought me for my birthday years ago and that I'd worn every day since. My hair I left down and unadorned, befitting a servant. I slipped down to the kitchens to find a small bite to eat, and to let the cooks know Frigga had requested me to cook breakfast for the monarchs and their sons.

I arrived ten minutes early at the royal family's rooms and made conversation with the two guards standing on either side of the door. I waited patiently until the clock on the wall indicated exactly six-thirty, at which point I knocked thrice on the door. It was opened by the Queen herself, in her night-clothes.

"Good, right on time. Enter, enter. Just in time to help me choose my dress. Come, the closet is this way." She led me to a gigantic room, filled to the brim with lavish dresses. "I am meeting with several ladies from Alfheim today, ad my dress must appear formal, yet not overly fussy." She let me wander for a time through her closet. Frigga was pale, and her hair honey-gold, so I thought something to complement that would be nice. Soon, I found the perfect one – just a shade darker than her hair, it would be perfect for the occasion.

"Good choice, Alvdis – I hadn't even thought of this one." I helped her dress, and she led me to her vanity. She explained how she usually had her hair done, but said she wanted a change.

"Your highness, if I may be so bold as to suggest something my father's mother wore in her days as a young lady," I asked.

"Of course," she told me. "Do with it what you will." Grateful, I finger-combed her locks to the side and braided them, taking in new sections every time I crossed one over. Finally, I fashioned the remaining hair into a side bun, pulling loose a few short pieces to frame her face.

She loved it. "Oh, this is amazing! I love it- I am sure to be the talked of much by the elves."

Just then, the Allfather came over without warning. I stumbled over my feet and curtseyed deeply, blushing. "Your majesty, 'tis an honor."

He smiled at me. "Alvdis, rise. I appreciate your show of respect, however, in this room, you need not bow to me. It would be too much trouble. Frigga, dear, you look stunning. Shall we go?"

I followed them at a distance, on my way to the kitchens to prepare their meal. Once inside, I stood, hands on hips, and surveyed what I had to work with. It was better than anything I had at home – indeed this one room of the kitchen was bigger than some of the houses back home – but I didn't know what ingredients I had.

A small child in a chef's outfit passed me, but I stopped her and asked her to show me where the storerooms were. She led me to a cold room where they stored everything that wouldn't go bad. It wasn't what I was used to, but I could work with it, I thought. I told the girl to get me an apron and long gloves, and soon I was bustling about the kitchen preparing the good, hearty food I'd fed my family for years.

I had it done in no time, and soon me and three others were carrying plates and plates of food out into the royal family's personal dining room. Strangely, there was someone missing – Prince Loki. I thought little of it, though. I was actually kind of glad that he wasn't here; he didn't exactly scare me, but I wasn't completely comfortable with him around, either. The little girl insisted on helping me serve, so I had her carry the butter and gravy dishes. I had a full plate in each hand, and couldn't pay attention to her.

Not a second after I'd set one down before the Queen, I heard the girl squeak. She must've tripped, and the gravy boat still in her hand! With a speed I didn't know I possessed I whirled to put the place down before Prince Thor, stepped behind his chair and grabbed the gravy boat before even a drop spilled. Sighing, I sent the girl back to the kitchen and set the gravy boat on the table. All eyes were on me.

"I apologize for that, your majesties," I said, looking down.

"No, you handled it gracefully," the Queen told me. The Queen thought I'd been graceful? I didn't know what to say. I didn't have to say anything, though, because she said, "Please, dine with us. I wish to know more about my new chief handmaiden."

Me? Take breakfast with the royal family? She couldn't be serious; I wasn't worthy of such a thing. "Your highness… are you sure you wish me to dine with you?" I asked, incredulous.

King Odin answered for her this time. He agreed with his wife. "Quite. Please, sit." He snapped his fingers and another plate piled high with food was brought out to me. I was glad I'd only eaten a light breakfast.

As I sat down in the chair closest to me, I expressed how much of an honor I thought this was. Frigga smiled at me. "Where do you come from, Alvdis? What is your family like?"

"A small village, a day's ride from here, is where I was born. My father raised my six siblings and I, with only a little help from his mother."

After he finished chewing, Prince Thor spoke. "Where was your mother? Did she not help?"

I felt my eyes water at the mention of her, but I pushed it back. "She… she left seven years ago, leaving us to do the raising. She's not returned once." The King asked the next question. This was beginning to feel more like an interrogation instead of a meal. "You are quite a nice lady, do you not have a husband?"

"In my village, there was no single man of wealth my father considered it well for me to marry. The only man that made more than my father was married before I came of age." I let out a small, self-derisive chuckle. "I never even learned to dance properly."

Frigga was stupefied. "You never learned to dance?"

"No, your highness. After the man of wealth married, it was no longer practical for me to learn, for there were too many things about the house to do." I couldn't see what she was making such a big deal about.

She sniffed. "No handmaid of mine will go through life without knowing how to dance. I'll teach you myself if I have to."

This was an unexpected honor. The Queen had appeared to take a sudden, fierce liking to me for no particular reason, and although I wasn't about to stop it, I was extremely puzzled. Her offer had driven all thought from my mind, and I was desperately grabbing at straws for something to say, but the piercing scream of a child cut through the air from the kitchen. It was probably the little girl again. I had to help her. "Your majesty, may I please-" I asked, addressing the person of highest rank at the table. He nodded.

I leapt up and ran into the kitchen. The little girl was shaking and clutching her bleeding wrist. It'd been cut from the heel of her hand all the way to her fingers, and was bleeding badly. This had happened to my youngest brother many times before, and I knew well what to do.

I picked the girl up – she couldn't have been more than five or six years old, and not very heavy – and set her on the counter, taking the cloth belt off my dress at the same time. I tied it halfway up her forearm to cut off the circulation. I poured a glass of water over the cut to wash it, and ordered someone to get me disinfectant.

"Now, I'll not lie, this is going to hurt. Can you squeeze my hand to lessen the pain?" I asked, giving her my left hand.

She nodded, tears pouring from her eyes. I took her injured hand, put it over a basin of water, and poured the disinfectant over it. She squealed like a stuck pig and nearly broke my thumb. Much to my relief, a healer rushed in bearing bandages. I let him do his work while I spoke to the girl.

"Now, how did that happen?" I asked. She wasn't forthcoming with the answer, so I added, "You'll not get in trouble; I'm only curious."

"I picked up the big knife, and I dropped it when I slipped on the hem of my dress." Her childish voice reminded me of my youngest sister, and warmed my heart.

"See? Only an accident, but it could've been prevented. You know what you shouldn't have done, right?"

"Pick up the knife. I only wanted to help!" she said, on the verge of tears again.

"Shhh, no, don't cry. You'll be able to use that knife in a few years, when you're a bit older. For now, though, it would be better if you stuck to mixing up the vegetables _after_ they're cut. Understand?" I set her back down on the floor, and she nodded at me. "Good." I smiled at her and returned to the dining room, where with horror I realized I'd left the connecting door open. They'd seen everything.

Thor especially was amazed. "How did you know how to do that?" he asked, having finished his meal. He was looking directly at me, and like any other single sane female in Asgard, I was more than a little nervous because of this.

Blushing, I replied, "My brothers get into quite a lot of trouble – that's happened more than once to each of them. Is there anything else that is required of me? I must be getting back to my duties, if you do not mind."

The answer was in the negative, so I curtseyed quickly and exited through the main doors back to the rooms I was to clean. The Allfather and Frigga kept their room quite clean, and I soon moved on to Prince Thor's area.

Thor… Thor was disgusting. There was no other word for it. I spent most of my time there, picking up bits of who-knows-what and putting his clothes back in his closet. I ended up having to take all the sheets off the bed and put them back on again, it was so messy. I was only finished by ten o'clock. Now, the only room I had left to clean was that of Prince Loki.

His door was still closed, and locked. I wasn't sure if he'd woken up yet or not – the thought of cleaning it while he was still there made me nervous. I knocked thrice on the large oak door, and was just about to say something when Loki opened it. He didn't look happy.

"You again? Can you not leave me alone?" he growled, grabbing the back of my neck and forcing me out of the doorway.

"My lord, I was just coming to clean. If I've disturbed you, you have my deepest apologies." I said. He was gripping my neck painfully hard, but I daren't say anything about it.

He whirled me around to face him and held my wrists so hard there would definitely be a bruise tomorrow. "How do I know-" he hissed, but was interrupted by a sharp yell from down the hall.

"Loki Odinson! How _dare _you!" It was the clear voice of Frigga. I'd never been more grateful for anyone before in my life. "Unhand her. Now."

He didn't. "What is she doing here?" he asked, gripping my wrists even tighter.

"She is my handmaiden, and the housekeeper of these rooms. She is doing her duty. Now unhand her." Rather than argue with his mother, he let me go and stormed off, muttering something under his breath.

"Are you alright?" she asked, a worried tone in her voice. I wondered once again at that, the Queen treating me as one of her own kin. I nodded, and she continued. "I apologize for him. He can be like that, sometimes. He'll get used to you eventually."

Loki kept his room impeccably clean but very untidy. I straightened up everything I thought wouldn't end up killing me and left as soon as I could. After a quick delivery of dirty clothes to the laundress, I began shadowing Frigga at her request. By the end of the day, my wrists were in severe pain and I was utterly exhausted. I could barely change into my nightgown before falling onto the bed.


	3. Chapter 3

The pain in my wrists woke me up several times that night, until I couldn't stand it anymore. I got up, got dressed, and made my way down to the healing rooms to get them looked at.

A woman came out to see me, took one look at my wrists and neck, and proclaimed "This is fractured. You need braces on both. Come." I followed her into a spare room, where she had me sit down on a chair and bite on a cloth. No sooner than I'd put it in my mouth then she jerked on my hand to right the bone and taped two splints to either side. It was covered with a cloth bandage and a leather fingerless glove. She went through the same process on the other wrist, and gave me a small drink of a funny-smelling potion to ease the pain.

"Remember not to move your wrists at all. Come back to me in two weeks so I can check them again." She looked me up and down one last time. "Are you by chance the Queen's new maid?"

I smiled. "Yes, I am. Why do you ask?"

"I thought so. There's a rumor going around that the Queen's got a new handmaiden, a commoner but with the potential to be as pretty as a noblewoman. It's nice to meet you."

"It is nice to meet you, too," I replied, "but I really must get going. Goodbye!"

I rushed back up to the Queen's rooms and got there with not a moment to spare. I knocked once and tried to open the door, but found it hard to with the bandages on my wrists. Eventually I got it, and I managed to keep my wrists behind Frigga's back the entire time I was with her, but I forgot to ask how her meeting with the elves went yesterday. Cleaning and making the bed was much harder, and it took me twice as long as yesterday. Thor's room was only slightly cleaner than before, and by the time I was finished with it the laundress, a girl around my age, had come looking for the clothes she usually washed at that time.

"I assume you're the Queen's new handmaiden?" she queried, helping me gather the clothes.

"Yes, I am. I apologize for not getting these to you sooner, but my wrists are fractured."

"No, I understand. If I may ask without offending you… how did it happen?" She shifted the full basket under her arm. "Was it your husband?"

I laughed. "No, no, I'm not married. I would tell you, but I fear getting him being punished. It is nothing against you, believe me."

"Oh, I understand. It was nice to meet you… what was your name?"

"My name is Alvdis. What may I call you?"

"Ingrid. Would you care to sup with me this evening in the servant's dining room? It's just off the kitchen." She smiled hopefully at me, and since I'd met no one else of my station at the palace just yet, I decided to agree. She smiled and I left the room.

Now it was time for me to clean Loki's room. I steeled myself for what I might or might not find inside. Hopefully, since it was later in the day, he'd already be out, but I wasn't sure. I'd overheard from someone that he would sometimes disappear into his room for days, and wake at all hours of the day (or night). I closed Thor's door and walked the few steps across the hall to Loki's.

I took a deep breath and knocked on the door. A second passed and it opened slowly. Loki appeared, not as mad as yesterday but still not happy. He looked down at me and I let out an involuntary squeak of fear.

"Oh, you again? Come to clean?" I nodded quickly, avoiding eye contact. I daren't move my eyes from the floor, so I only saw his boots. "Come. I need to show you what you can and cannot touch." I followed him inside, and he stopped just short of his green and gold bed.

"You know your way around, obviously, because you tidied up here yesterday. However, if you're to be in here on a regular basis, you need to know what you can and cannot touch. Move the books on the shelf only to dust them, and put them back exactly as you find them. Any open books on my desk should remain on the page they're opened to and go back on the desk just as they were before. Read none of my letters, do not touch any bottles, open or closed, and whatever you do," he punctuated this with a dramatic pause, "if you find food, do not eat it. It is most likely poisoned. Understand?"

"Yes, my lord," I said.

"Good. Oh, and one more thing," he said, lightly taking hold of my chin and inclining my head to meet his eyes. By now I was shaking, I was so scared. He'd not hurt me so far, but I wasn't going to assume he wouldn't.

He narrowed his eyes at me as he felt me shaking. "Are you _scared_ of me?" It was no new experience for him, to inspire fear in another, but to someone this small, this innocent… he didn't like it. Not one bit.

Loki looked me up and down, in the process catching sight of my wrists. "Did I do this to you?" he wondered again, incredulous and almost horrified at himself. _What was wrong with me yesterday? _he thought. It was unlike him to hurt a woman, no matter her station. A few seconds' contemplation, and he realized the anger he'd felt was most likely an aftereffect of the fumes of the poison he'd put in a pastry at the request of a good dwarfish friend.

He cradled my hands lightly in his. I didn't want to answer and anger him more, but I didn't want to lie, either; especially not to the god of lies. "Yes," I finally said in answer to both questions. I looked away at the wall, fearing more retribution.

He let me go, and I gratefully backed up a step from him. "Odin should've punished me by now. Unless… Alvdis, did you tell anyone?"

"No, my lord," I said, though I couldn't recall ever having told him my name.

He seemed puzzled. "Why?"

"I am not a worthy reason for a Prince of Asgard to be punished," I said. "You should not have to experience hardship on my account, and I would feel guilty if you did." I dared look at his face – still no eye contact, though.

Prince Loki didn't appear to understand. Indeed, he couldn't comprehend why someone would want to save him, of all people, from being reprimanded. Rather than figure this girl out now, he sighed deeply, ran a hand through his inky hair, and strode out of the room without another word.

I quickly dusted and swept, since there was nothing else in his room that needed doing. Next, I went to Frigga, who once again had me shadow her. She gave me a piteous look once she saw my wrists, but said nothing, thankfully. The time for supper came, and we parted ways. I went to the kitchen and found it bustling.

An old woman commandeered me and I was stuck making apple pie after apple pie for what must've been an hour. Finally, once I was sufficiently sweaty and tired, I was let go and shown to the servant's room. It consisted of several separate tables, each of which contained lively conversations. Ample supplies of mead flowed throughout the room, and all were on equal footing.

Although, it appeared some were more equal than others. I received a glare from a table of catty-looking women, and two grown men leered and whistled in my direction. More than a little uncomfortable, I began glancing around for Ingrid.

"Oh, hello, Alvdis!" a voice behind me said. Starting, I whirled around. It was Ingrid. She locked her arm with mine and escorted me away, saying to the men as we went, "We're not your dogs."

She and two others were situated in the far corner. I was shown into a seat between Ingrid and a bulky, attractive male. There was already a plate piled high with food for me, for which I was grateful – I was hungry as a bilgesnipe. Across the table was another young woman, and she was positively beautiful. Hair like spun gold set off marble skin, and a cream colored dress hugged her curves nicely. I glanced at the man to my right to see how he saw this angelic figure. It was plain in his eyes that he loved her, anyone could see. I felt disappointed, for what I didn't know.

They greeted me warmly, the woman speaking first. "Hello! I'm Hallabera, and he's Biartr. I'm a seamstress, nothing special. I've heard a lot about you, though."

"Nice to meet you, Hallabera." I gave Biartr a short smile, which he replied to in kind. Thankfully, he seemed like a quiet sort of man – the only kind I knew how to deal with, because I could just ignore them. "What've you heard about me? I didn't realize I was so well-known."

"Oh, you are. The Queen's handmaiden is generally a well-known sort of person," Ingrid told me.

Recalling the women that had glared at me earlier, I said, "I already seem to have made quite an impression, and a bad one at that."

"Are you talking about them, up there?" Biartr spoke for the first time. I nodded, and he continued. "Don't worry yourself about them, miss. They're just jealous of you because you've got the chance to be so close with Prince Thor." After completing his sentence, he took a hasty last few bites of his food and put his plate on the increasingly large pile of what had to be washed up.

This only made me feel slightly better, for I knew it was not something I personally had done to inspire their enmity. "But… they can't possibly think that anyone that must dine is _this _room has even a remote chance of…" I let my sentence trail off, the point already taken.

"Well, they are slightly, you know." Ingrid tapped her head to indicate that the girls were somewhat lacking in the intelligence department. _What they lack in brains, they make up for in whoreish beauty,_ I thought.

We ate in comfortable silence for a few more minutes, until I suddenly became aware of the time. It was late. "It has been nice meeting all of you," I said, standing, "but I really must go."

They waved goodbye to me, and I exited the dining room feeling better now that I knew someone at the palace with whom I could freely associate.

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**A/N - Please remember to review. They make me write faster. :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**A note on Ymir's mention in this chapter: I feel like they would take his name in vain, if they took anyone's. After all, he is (according to Wikipedia) the one who started that whole Aesir-god-deity-clan kind of thing. Also, I'm sorry for the longish wait; things happened and I ended up painting a church. **

**Last apology: I'm sorry for the bad quality. I figured, since you've waited so long, you won't mind the mediocrity. **

Life continued regularly for approximately three weeks. I woke in the morning, tried and failed to get over the dull ache in my wrists, breakfasted before the sun rose, went to Frigga's room to tend to her, cleaned, did what she asked of me the rest of the day, and supped with Ingrid, Hallabera, and Biartr at night.

During that time, we became good friends. Ingrid and I were inseparable save for our duties. Also during that time, I saw Prince Loki only once (for which I was vaguely relieved), and talked to him not at all.

It had been when I went back to the healer's to get my wrists looked at. She'd changed the bandages and told me to leave them alone for another few days, but that I could move them if it was absolutely necessary. Just as I was about to return to my room, the door was flung violently open. Volstagg and Fandral piled in, supporting Hogun between them. I'd never personally met the Warriors Three, but they were famous throughout the land. The Princes entered behind them, and Lady Sif stalked in last. I curtseyed quickly and ran to do anything I could to help. Hogun looked like he needed it, and who was I to deny my services to one of the greatest warriors in all Asgard?

I was pulled aside by the same woman that'd fixed my wrists. "Do you know _anything_ about healing wounds?" she asked me.

"I raised four boys from the toddling stage," I said, referring to my brothers. "Of course I do."

She nodded at me and handed me disinfectant. "Feel free to boss them around all you need to. Ymir knows we do." She ran off somewhere to get bandages, leaving me alone with the nobles. Sighing, I reluctantly took her words to heart and slipped into the throng.

"Move, please. No, the other way," I kept repeating until I reached the bed on which they'd laid him. Thor, the strongest man there, was kneeling beside him pressing his hands to his shoulder in a valiant attempt to stop Hogun's bleeding. His thigh was pierced by a long, thin tooth of some kind, but that wasn't the emergency.

"Alvdis! What are you doing here?" Thor exclaimed when he saw me.

I didn't look up, only halfway paying attention to what was going on around me – I was completely focused on peeling back the layers of cloth that covered the gaping wound. It was bleeding profusely, but from what I saw, it was just a flesh wound. Shooing Thor away without giving him an answer, I poured the liquid liberally all over his shoulder, causing him to cry out in pain.

"Sorry," I muttered, pausing quickly to push up the sleeves of my dress. The healing woman returned with bandages and together we pieced Hogun back together.

Loki stood in the back of the room, watching the servant girl Alvdis.

He'd been beginning to form a picture of her personality in his mind. Previously, he'd thought she was soft, weak, unintelligent sort of girl with her only redeeming aspect being her follow-orders-without-delay attitude. Now that he saw her entire being focused wholly on the wounded man before her, he saw that he was wrong.

She was still soft, but she was not as weak as he'd suspected, nor was she unintelligent. The way she bent over Hogun's wounds, with a kind of motherly care pervading her every movement – that required some amount of intellect. Perhaps not learned from books, but there nevertheless.

And he'd heard her say, "I raised four boys from the toddling stage." She was too young to be a mother, so how had she raised any children, much less four? This intrigued him, and he vowed to figure her out. He considered her not his equal, but more like a little pet. Commoners, or (to be truthful) anyone other than himself, were mere abstractions to him. _She will be no different_, he promised himself in response to a tiny suspicion in the back of his head. He crushed it like an ant underneath his boot.

Another few days passed without me seeing Prince Loki once. I never did find out what the group had been doing that had Hogun hurt so badly. I finally broke down and ripped the splints off. This was after I'd done my duties as lady's maid, but before I began cleaning. I stowed them in the bottom of the laundry basket, knowing Ingrid would understand to throw them away.

Life was so much easier without them on. Thor's room, as usual, was utterly disgusting. I'd wondered at first how he managed to get it so uniformly messy every night like clockwork, but after the third straight week, I just accepted it.

Loki's door opened without me even having to knock. Sadly, I found him inside, reclining in a chair reading an impossibly thick book. I'd managed to avoid him for weeks – seeing him now didn't make me happy.

"Do what you must. I don't feel like leaving just yet," he commented without looking up.

A quick curtsy and I was saying, "Do as you wish, my lord." I was soon remaking the bed, which had been left messier than usual. I hated turning my back to him, but it had to be done. I felt his eyes burning into me as I straightened the pillows.

As I was readjusting the pillows, he suddenly spoke. "Why are you here, Alvdis?"

The question puzzled me. "First and foremost I am the Queen's handmaiden. I don't understand-"

He shook his head, putting the book down. "No, no, I mean, why are you here at all? Why did you take the job?"

I cast my eyes downward as I maneuvered around him to dust his desk. I didn't want to tell him, but if he honestly wanted to know… "My family is poor. My father does all he can, as do my two sisters, but it isn't enough. I figured, if there was a chance for me to serve the royal family as well as my own, I would take it. I send the entirety of my wages back home, and sup here with my fellow servants."

I probably didn't need to tell him that much, but I got carried away. His face displayed no emotion whatsoever, but his changed position revealed to me that he was interested in my tale, at least a little bit. He sat up in his lazily rested his head on his hand, watching my every move.

"And what about your mother? What is her part in all this?" he asked.

I stopped moving, but only for a second. "I- ah… she has not been involved with the affairs of her family for seven years." I left it at that.

"Seven years – then, if I have correctly estimated your age, she left just as you came of age?" he asked, with no regard to my feelings.

I refused to let him get to me. "You are correct, my lord."

"And you have siblings, correct? How do they fare, without their mother?"

"For all intents and purposes, sir, I have been their mother." I wanted – no, needed – to leave. If I didn't, I would be unable to restrain my feelings any longer. I hurried through the rest of my cleaning and got as far as the door with my basket of laundry before I was called back.

Loki remained lounging, but when I returned he leapt up. "Yes, my lord?" I asked. I refused to make eye contact, as always. Eye contact was an intimate thing.

"I apologize for injuring you earlier this month." It wasn't as hard as Loki had thought it would've been. He didn't often apologize to people, but if she was going to trust him enough for him to be able to figure her out, he had to first say he was sorry.

I was completely taken by surprise. Why would Prince Loki, the God of Lies and Mischief, the one nicknamed the 'dark prince', bother to apologize to _me _of all people? I stuttered, stupefied and speechless. "My lord, I – I of all people should be the least you should worry about. I do believe it was my fault, for startling you that day."

This time it was Loki that was taken by surprise. Did she really, honestly believe that? "It was by no means your fault. You are dismissed," he said.

I nodded my head as I always did out of respect and left him, head spinning. Was he actually apologizing for something he'd done? To _me_? Why? I didn't deserve it. And he said it wasn't my fault? What had possessed him to give me this honor? Of course, even if it was his fault (which I didn't believe), he didn't have to apologize to the likes of me.

I was so distracted that I barely recognized Frigga when I passed her. She asked if she could talk to me alone, in her private gardens, and of course I agreed. We walked in silence to a secluded, walled garden with an iron table in the center. She had me take a seat down, and sat down across from me.

"Alvdis, you know I never had a daughter." I nodded and clasped my hands in my lap. She continued. "I'm about to tell you something I've never told anyone else before. Can you keep it a secret?"

"Of course, your highness. It shall never leave my lips." I steeled myself for what she was about to tell me. What with what Loki had done not five minutes earlier, this couldn't surprise me at all.

"I have always wanted one." At my face, she said, "That is not the secret. The secret is this, and it involves you: I may be overstepping boundaries when I say this, but I wish to treat you as my daughter. You would remain my servant, of course, but there would be certain… benefits."

I nearly fell out of my chair. I was, not for the first time that day, utterly, completely, and foolishly astonished, for obvious reasons. "Your highness… I am not worthy," I stammered eventually, and began listing several reasons why: appearance, personality, social status, familial connections (rather the lack thereof), and things of the like.

Frigga looked into my eyes, and it felt as if she was staring into my soul. "Would you accept if I told you your family would be amply provided for until such time as they no longer require assistance?"

How could I not? My family would be rich. Father would be able to put enough food on the table every night of the week. My sisters would marry worthy men, my brothers grow to be strong warriors. Besides, it was the will of the Queen, and I was her servant. It was my duty to please her. "Yes, your highness." I was almost giggling, I was so happy. My family would no longer be a laughingstock.

She smiled, a warm, motherly smile that reminded me of my own mother. "I was hoping you would say that. I brought you this, as a token of my affection." She removed from somewhere about her person a charm bracelet, made of the finest gold, with a tiny crown as the only charm. It was beautiful.

"Your highness, your family has treated me very well for the entire time I have been in your service, even though I have done nothing to deserve such an honor. I am eternally grateful." I gripped the soft fabric of my dress underneath the table to keep myself from fainting. I did not deserve the favor I had been shown by those that I served.

"Alvdis, perhaps no one has ever told you this," the Queen said softly, "but you are the type of woman that immediately finds her way into the hearts of all who meet her. I say this with utter certainty: you were _born_ to be a lady, and under my tutelage you will be."


	5. Chapter 5

**I'm sorry for how much the writing in this chapter sucks, but I didn't have much time and I haven't updated in a while, so I figured I would now. **

**Warning: this chapter contains a scene based on the effects of being ordered to commit sexual acts someone did not feel at all comfortable with; in other words, rape. If you don't like it, don't read it, and please don't flame. It is integral to the story. I did warn you. **

The next evening, Ingrid and I were walking together to dinner when I told her. Ingrid stopped in her tracks and fell against the wall. "What? How? Why? I am happy for you, but why would her highness show such kindness to the lowly likes of someone in the servant's caste?"

"That is what I wish to know. I did not ask for this – in fact, I expected the opposite, for her to be angry with me regularly. Truly, she is a benevolent mistress."

Ingrid nodded. "Has His Majesty the Allfather spoken to you about what his lady has given you?"

I shook my head. "No. He has been busy of late; her highness has been alone when I go to her in the morning." We pushed through the doors of the kitchen and took a plate from the stack.

"He must, soon. His lady has given you something priceless."

"I know how much her favor is worth, but you must promise me one thing – swear to me that you will tell no one. This was supposed to be a secret, between me and Queen Frigga alone- but of course I would have told you."

Her face became gravely serious. "I swear to you I will tell no one. If I do, let me become the lowest of the low, a vagrant in the streets."

I smiled at her. "Thank you." We reached our table, plates piled high with food, and conversed merrily with Hallabera and Biartr as if nothing had occurred.

The next morning the Allfather was awake, but the Queen was not. He answered the door himself and ushered me in. I saw in his eyes Frigga had told him of what she had done, and was not angry with either me or her.

"My wife has told you she wishes to treat you as her daughter, and I have heard you accepted her offer. Please, explain to me your reasoning." He began strapping on his armor, but I interceded.

"Please, your majesty, allow me to do this for you." He nodded and I took over. "My reasons for accepting her highness' offer are twofold: first, she promised me my family would be amply provided for, and second, I am in no position to tell her highness she cannot have what she wants."

"A satisfactory answer. However, know this: it is Frigga that considers you her daughter, not I. You may act as you wish with her, but I am still your king. Understood?" He looked at me, brow furrowed.

I buckled the last of his armor on and curtseyed low, saying, "Of course, your majesty."

"Good," the Allfather said, and left. As the door shut behind him, the Queen woke up. I dressed her as I normally did. Just as we were about to part ways, she stopped me.

"Alvdis, do you remember my offer of dancing lessons?" she asked.

I had thought that was simply her jesting with me; obviously not. "I do, your highness."

"I intend to start teaching you today. Please report to the gardens when you have finished your duties."

"I will be sure to, your highness." With a curtsey she left the room and I tidied up quickly. Surprisingly, it was Thor's room that was shut, and I heard moans coming through the cracks in the door. Knowing better than to interrupt, I blushed deeply and moved on to Prince Loki's quarters. The door was closed, but he wasn't there. His rooms were finished quickly, and by that time Thor's room was quiet.

By the time I had finished straightening the frightful mess, it was one o'clock. Back in my room, I dabbed at the sweat on my brow with a wet cloth, remade my own bed, and tied my damp hair back with a leather strip before going to the gardens to meet Frigga.

She sat reading by a fountain, but stood up when she saw me. "Greetings, Alvdis."

"Hello, your highness," I said.

"Oh, you needn't call me that. You are my daughter, remember? Please, call me Frigga."

"Yes, your- Yes, _Frigga_," I said, although it sounded immensely strange coming from my mouth.

The Queen smiled. "Please, have a seat. We'll be going over the basics first."

I did so, and she began lecturing me on the fundamental principles of dancing. The lady was always to follow, not lead; weight must be kept on one's toes at all times for better maneuverability; and it was all I could do to keep up with her. It was half an hour before she finished. I was expecting there to be more to the first lesson, some sort of formality, but no. It was more like a pleasant dinner conversation than a lesson.

The royal family had a pressing engagement with a few diplomats from another realm that evening, and I was to help get her ready. We walked side by side back to her quarters, conversing merrily (I still refused to use her given name). Her dress was gold with red embroidery, symbolic of her son Thor, and a delicate silver bracelet with a single emerald charm symbolic of Loki. In her words, "The elves would not like it if they saw I showed favor for one son over the other."

She left her room with a "Luck be with you" from me. I was just returning to my own room when I heard a small, pained squeak from a shady depression in the wall. Upon further investigation, I saw that it was none other than Hallabera that had made the noise.

"Hallabera, what are you- what happened to you?" I knelt on the stony cold floor beside her broken body and gently rested a hand on her shoulder. She whimpered, and I instinctively examined her for injuries.

I knew what was wrong as soon as my gaze rested upon her hips. A man had forced himself upon her, and when he'd finished he'd hidden her here. Splotches of blood littered the area where her legs met her torso. She had to see a healer as soon as possible. I, unfortunately, was unable to carry her. Previously I had been tired and my limbs shaky, but now my head was clear and I knew exactly what to do.

"Who was it?" I asked.

Her eyes widened, terrified by the memory of her attacker, and I had to soothe her for a good three to four minutes while she mustered up the strength to murmur something about a "nobleman" and "threatened to hurt Biartr".

There was no way I was going to be able to carry her, and she wasn't going to be able to walk there herself. I was reluctantly standing to leave and fetch a healer when I saw none other than Prince Loki advancing swiftly down the corridor.

Glancing about the scene, he fixed his emerald eyes on mine. "What is this?" he demanded.

There was no time for a curtsy. "My lord, someone has attacked her-" I was interrupted by a whine from Hallabera.

"No," she moaned, "Ordered… then forced." My mind went blank.

I couldn't comprehend the implications of what she'd just said. She had been ordered to submit to this cruelty? Only then did I realize: I was always in danger of that happening to me, since I was never to refuse an order given to me by anyone of higher status. I soldiered on through my silent epiphany and forced myself to say what had actually happened to Hallabera.

"Someone has forced himself upon her, my lord, and needs a healer."

"And I assume you want me to carry her there?" he asked. He seemed aloof, but as I looked into his eyes I saw the turmoil beneath. His eyes seemed to be saying _Rape? In _my_ palace? Someone will be punished._

I averted my eyes, embarrassed. I knew he had to be with his parents and brother in the meeting the diplomats, but I also couldn't leave Hallabera here alone. "If I could do it myself, I would not trouble you with such matters."

He knelt by her side without another word. She opened her mouth to scream, but by some sorcery no sound came out of her mouth. She was also immobilized, and in that manner was taken to the healer's rooms. The same lady that had treated my wrists received her, and Loki pulled me aside once back in the corridor.

"Listen, girl. I need you to do something," he ordered, voice low.

"Anything, my lord," I replied.

He sighed and glanced around him. "Come with me," he said, beginning to walk at an alarming pace. "At the moment, I am supposed to be in a diplomatic meeting with a group of elves. I was supposed to be bringing a gift for them. Obviously, I am not there; my father will not be happy about this. This is where you come in; I had planned on carrying it myself, but as I need someone to back up my claim that I was in the healer's rooms, you are to carry it."

He reached into a hidden compartment in his armor I hadn't noticed before and produced a small box. Stopping just before a large oaken door, he pressed it into my hand and hissed, "Listen – this is worth more than the life of your entire family, do you understand? Do not drop it." He spoke as if he thought I was a mere child, but I held my tongue.

"Yes, my lord." I grasped it and he pushed through the door. Only then did I realize my appearance was not one that any important visitor from another realm should see. Indeed, they should not be catching sight of a servant at all; if I knew one thing from the little time I'd been in service to the Queen, it was that the mark of a good servant was not to be seen. I felt like I was going to vomit, I was so extremely nervous and ashamed.

Everyone in the room looked up at us when we entered. Loki laughed good-naturedly and I stayed meekly behind him. "I apologize for being late, but there was unavoidable business I had to attend to," he said, striding up to where his brother sat and resting a hand on the back of his chair.

Odin looked from his son to me, and said, "And what, exactly, was this business, Loki?"

"A lady was injured, and I was assisting her to the healing rooms."

An elvish lady smirked at him. I knew flirting when I saw it. "And why should we believe the God of Lies?" she asked, voice dripping with honey. It was sickening, but that was only my (unworthy) opinion. At the very least she could have pretended to worry about the injured lady.

He glanced back at me. "She can tell you what I say is true, if you honestly need verification."

The lady looked me up and down contemptuously. Her eyes asked me the question her mouth wouldn't.

"My lord's story is true," I stated meekly. The tension could be cut with a knife.

The queen came to the rescue of all involved by saying, "Son, I believe you have a gift?"

The ladies tittered among themselves at the mention of a gift. He turned to me and snapped his fingers. I immediately presented the box to him, and he took it, curtly whispering, "You are dismissed." I curtseyed impossibly deep and backed out of the room.

Once out of sight, I ran to the stables to fetch Biartr. He would want to know what happened to Hallabera. He, Ingrid, and I each took shifts sleeping by her bedside as she slept, in case she woke up and no one was there with her. The whole night she stayed asleep, and only the next morning did a healer bother to tell us the sedative they'd used would have her out for several consecutive days.

Even as I was chastised myself, I gave silent thanks that it was Hallabera on the bed and not me; although our roles very well could have been, and might still be, reversed.


	6. Chapter 6

The next morning I awoke before most of the rest of the palace. The only beings not still sleeping were the royal family's night guards. Their eyes followed me as I tiptoed down to the kitchen to scrape up breakfast. It was eerie, being the only person in the entire gigantic room, but I was too hungry to care.

At least, I thought I was alone, until the light cough of a small child made me jump out of my skin. I tracked the noise to its source, and discovered it to be coming from the same little girl that had cut her hand so soon after I'd arrived. She must've been coughing in her sleep, because her eyes flicked back and forth rapidly under their lids and she didn't move to acknowledge my presence.

Why was she sleeping here, and not with her parents somewhere? Surely a girl as young as her would have at least one parent in the service of the court. I extended a hand to wake her and ask her exactly what she was doing.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she cried, writhing in the small corner she'd been using as a bed. "It'll not happen again, I- oh." When she realized it was I that knelt by her side, she quieted down.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, hoping my voice appeared gentle to her. "I'll not tell anyone else, I promise."

She sniffed, and I caught a glimpse of a tear rolling down her cheek. "I can't go anywhere else, miss."

"You mean to say your parents don't care for you?"

She squirmed into my arms, and I saw her dress was wrinkled and worn; she'd obviously not had time to change it in quite a while. "I don't know who papa is. I have not seen mamma in a long time."

How could a parent ignore their child? I couldn't understand it, and at that moment I swore that if no one else would be her caretaker, I would. "What is your name, child?" I asked.

"Týna, miss," she answered.

What a name; horribly perfect for this child. It meant to forget, or to be forgotten. "Well, Týna, you will be staying with me from now on, alright?"

"Truly, miss?" she seemed incredulous, as if something this nice would've never happened to her.

"Yes. My name is Alvdis. Now come, I must get you to my room." I rested her on my hip; she was incredibly small for her age, and I was able to carry her easily. She instinctively wrapped her short legs around my body, and I felt as if I was back at home carrying my youngest sibling in from a long day frolicking in the field.

"Oh, thank you!" she babbled. We were only halfway to our destination when we were stopped by a woman taller than me, but only a few years older. She was one of the girls that had thought ill of me the first time I'd dined with the other servants, the ones that thought they actually had a chance with Prince Thor.

"What are you doing with my daughter?" she snapped, taking me by surprise. She had offspring? I guessed I shouldn't have been so shocked; she did look as though her maidenhead was but a distant memory.

For the first time in my life, I experienced not mere frustration, but true, unrepressed anger. "I am taking care of her, as you obviously refuse to do so."

"You'll put her down this instant." Still, she made no move toward me. I began to suspect this conversation was more about her making me feel low, and not an attempt to reclaim her daughter.

"I'll do no such thing. You have forgotten this child, forced her to sleep in a cubby in the kitchens. Týna is destitute, at only six years old. You should be ashamed. If you do not care for her, allow someone who does to take over your role."

"Put her down," the other girl's mother demanded. "Týna, come to me, my baby." To her credit, the child only gripped the neckline of my dress more tightly.

I had to resort to desperate measures. Týna _would_ be under my care. "Would _Thor_ honestly look twice at an unmarried mother? At a whore?"

She huffed and strode away, leaving a trail of sickly sweet perfume behind her. I had to run to reach my room in time. I knelt down beside Týna, saying, "Stay here and get some rest. I must attend to the Queen, but I will be back in an hour or so."

She nodded and climbed into my bed, sound asleep the moment her head hit the pillow. Unfortunately, I was ten minutes late reporting to Frigga. Thank Ymir the Allfather had stayed in his study all night, busy with kingly business. He was not there to chasten me, for I knew he would have.

She gave me a questioning look when I entered. "What kept you, Alvdis?" she asked, more like a mother than a mistress.

"I was held up in the kitchen. It will not happen again," I said. Better her think less of me than be aware of Týna's situation. If there was one thing I'd learned in my time as servant, it was that masters and mistresses must, at all costs, be kept in blissful ignorance of the servant's lives. They neither cared, nor needed to know of our troubles, for they had enough to worry about already. I didn't know that I was about to see that cardinal rule broken.

She smiled. "I was merely curious. You'll not be punished." Quietly I released a breath I hadn't known I'd been holding. I was halfway through curling her hair for the day when there was a knock at the door.

Without waiting for an answer, the door swung open and in strode Prince Loki, hand firmly on the shoulder of Týna. My heart fell to my feet.

I curtseyed and greeted him, "My lord."

"Is this yours?" he asked simply.

"She has recently come under my care, yes, but she is not my kin."

"She attempted to enter my rooms."

I gave the Queen a questioning look, and she nodded. I traversed the length of the room in a few long strides and dropped to my knees to be level with the girl.

"What did I tell you?" I asked firmly.

"You told me to stay and get rest, but-"

"No buts, Týna. You should have stayed in the room. You are being incredibly discourteous to your Queen and Prince. Now apologize and curtsy." I stepped back and watched her with a hawk-like gaze as she said as good an apology as she could manage and curtseyed low as her little legs would take her.

"Good. Now, go back to my room, and do not leave until I come for you. I shall deal with you later." She did so meekly, and even though I hated to make her sad like that, a little discipline when young would pay off well when she aged.

I turned back to the royal family. "Your majesties, please excuse her. She is but a child, raised without manners, and she meant no offense by what she did." Loki nodded curtly and walked away in a flurry of green cape and glinting armor.

"No, indeed, you have disciplined her well," the Queen said.

"Thank you. That is high praise, coming from you who have raised such good men as Prince Thor and Prince Loki."

"You spoil me, Alvdis."

"You of all people have the right to be spoiled," I returned, going back to the now cold curling iron.

She merely smiled at me. There wasn't much left I had to do for her hair, and when she stood to exit her rooms she told me to report to the same courtyard at the same time for more dancing lessons. I wondered at her ability to find time for me among her busy schedule, but said nothing.

An hour later, I knocked on Loki's closed door quietly. I had to wait several minutes for it to open, but it did so, revealing Prince Loki reclining lazily on the large bed.

"Enter; do what you must," he said.

I did so with a quick head nod. I was able to dust and sweep the floor before he began interrogating me. Thankfully none of his questions concerned Týna.

"How fares your friend?" he asked, referring to Hallabera.

"I have not yet visited her today, but as of late last night she was still unconscious," I answered. I intended to visit her as soon as my duties with the Queen were over; hopefully she would be awake.

"Then she has not spoken of her attacker. When she does, tell me, and only me, his name," he ordered.

"I shall do so, my lord. May I ask you a question?" I meekly wondered. Before, I had been scared of him, but after he'd helped me take Hallabera to the healing rooms, I was no more scared of him than I was Thor. Mainly I was just shy.

His gaze on me, even though I had my back turned to tidy a bookshelf, held almost unbearable weight. Immediately I regret my question. "What would you ask of your prince?" he drawled.

"Forgive me, my lord. I merely wish to know what you intend to do with him once you know his name." I turned and faced him, eyes submissively downcast.

"That," he said, standing, "is not for you to know. Are you finished?" Now, I was scared of him again, and rightfully so.

"Yes, my lord."

"Then be gone." I backed out of the room gladly.

Back in my own room, I gave Týna her punishment: she had to scrub and organize everything in my room, from top to bottom, as best she could. I figured it would keep her busy for the rest of the day, and it was simple enough work for a child. Leaving her with a scrub brush, a bucket of water, and instructions not to break anything, I left for the dancing lesson.

In the courtyard, instead of seeing Queen Frigga alone, she sat making conversation with Fandral. I'd only seen him once before, when I had been fixing Hogun's injuries.

"Greetings," I said, taking a seat before her.

"Hello, Alvdis. I believe you have seen Lord Fandral before?" she asked.

_Should I use her given name? _I asked myself. I decided it was petty not to, and since she had asked me to call her it, I gave it a shot. "Yes, Frigga," I said, my voice not betraying the inner anxiety I was feeling.

She smiled at me. "Good. He will be your partner for today. I have a pressing engagement I must attend, and will see you in the morning." With that, she left, leaving me alone with Fandral.

I turned to him and bowed my head. "Greetings, my lord."

"Hello, Alvdis," he said warmly. "Shall we begin?"

"Of course, my lord." They both stood, and he rested his feather-light hands on my waist. A slow waltz began playing from somewhere behind a stone wall; I realized it was probably a few musicians hiding discreetly.

We began moving slowly at first, with him giving pointers every now and then about where to put my feet. He was a good dancer, and I could wish for no better partner.

"You seem to have a natural affinity for dancing," Fandral remarked when we finished the day's lesson.

"Thank you for the compliment, my lord," I replied simply. I didn't believe him, but far be it for me to argue with my betters. Now, I just hoped he wouldn't try and bed me. After all, he was the most famous womanizer in all the land. No woman was safe from his cunthound ways.

"Would you care to take a walk with me, Alvdis?" he asked, hopeful.

I shook my head. "I have other duties I must attend to, my lord."

Surely they can wait."

"Alas," I sighed, "they cannot." It wasn't entirely a lie. I still had to visit Hallabera, and Týna was liable to wander off if I left her alone much longer. A few more pleasantries were exchanged, and – much to my relief – we parted ways.

From a window high above that courtyard, Loki had observed the entire lesson. With a huff he turned away. He didn't know what was making him feel this clawing nervousness in his gut. Maybe it was the way Fandral looked at the innocent girl Alvdis as if she were merely a piece of meat for him to bed, or the way he placed his hands _just so_ on her waist, and she, being not as educated in that particular area as most maidens should be, did not realize the import in the gesture. Possibly it could have been the short conversation held after the dancing in which Loki knew he had offered to "take a walk" with her.

Alvdis was a mere servant girl, but she was the Queen's servant. If Lord Fandral was idiotic enough to try and add her name to his list, Loki would seek retribution. _That is the _only_ reason,_ he told himself. The Queen's private handmaiden deserved better.

Because, Loki assured himself, to him she was nothing more than a quaint, trivial pet.


	7. Chapter 7

That evening, after a quick check on Týna, I rushed to the healing rooms to check on Hallabera. I found Biartr already there, on a low wooden stool beside her bed. Judging by the empty plates on the bedside table, he'd been there for most of the day.

"Alvdis," he said. His voice was hoarse, and his eyes looked like he'd been recently crying. "I cannot translate into words the extent of my thankfulness."

I sat down beside him. In this sensitive, tremulous state, he wasn't as intimidating and gigantic-seeming as he was usually. Laying a hand gently on his shoulder, I looked at Hallabera's sleeping face as I said, "I did what any friend would have done. Nevertheless, you are welcome."

"Surely you will expect something in return for your good deed."

"I expect nothing, Biartr. However, you should know that it was not I alone that came to her rescue." He gave me a questioning look. "Prince Loki was the one who carried her here, for I could not lift her. I merely discovered her. He is the one that deserves your thanks."

"I will be sure to speak to him soon," Biartr mumbled, more to himself than me.

There was a moment of silence as we both looked down at the unconscious Hallabera. Biartr wondered if she would be the same woman he'd known before the incident, the woman he'd loved; I just wanted my friend to be okay, and to be happy. The quiet was shattered by a moan of protest – Hallabera was having a nightmare.

Like lightning Biartr was kneeling on the floor, clutching her hand, before I even had the time to look up.

"Bera, shhh, 'tis just a dream. Wake up." I stood by her head and brushed a few damp locks of hair from her sweaty forehead. Now, like this, I knew exactly how much Biartr loved Hallabera. In his eyes there was such tenderness, such caring, such uncontainable love – it was impossible not to see. But there was also anger, and hatred for the one that had done this to her. I knew with utter certainty that, despite whatever Loki's plans may be, Biartr would be the one to deal out the punishment.

"Biartr," Hallabera muttered, still only half awake. Again I marveled at the depth of love between the couple. Even after what happened to her, Hallabera still trusted and loved Biartr enough to know he wouldn't do the same. Even when she screamed at the sight of a male healer come to give her pain medicine, when she writhed at the sight of a simple warrior passing by the door, she allowed him to come so close, and to touch her.

Briefly I wished for a love like that. I pushed the thought out of my head almost as soon as it had come; I was to marry for status, not love. With a few lucky exceptions (like the couple before her), love was the territory of the wealthy and the foolish alone.

Hallabera attempted to sit up, but Biartr stopped her. "You shouldn't exert yourself so soon, Bera."

She carefully repositioned herself so she could better see his face. "Biartr, it was so horrible. He was tall, and he had red hair, and the meanest brown eyes-" she babbled, but with a large yet gentle hand Biartr quieted her.

"You need not speak of it so soon, if you do not wish to." She whimpered, and tightened her grip on his hand. I suddenly felt like I was intruding on something.

Without either of my friends noticing I made as quiet of an exit as I could. Without realizing it, Hallabera had given me exactly what I'd wanted to know. I looked throughout the palace for Loki, but he was nowhere to be found. With a sigh, I returned to my room.

"I've done what you asked, Alvdis," Týna said, coming up to me and taking hold of my skirt.

I looked around me. Everything shone with a new luster I hadn't seen even when I first came to occupy the palace. My dresses were organized by style and color in the wardrobe, my single necklace and hairbrush lay arranged perfectly on either side of the washbasin.

I knelt in front of her. "Týna, this is amazing. You've done a good job."

"Thank you."

"Do you know why you had to do this?" I asked her. The job would be meaningless if she didn't fully comprehend why I'd had her do it.

"Because I didn't do what you told me, and I was disrespectful to the Queen and the Prince."

"It is not so much you not doing what I told you, as you not following orders. Following orders one gives you is indicative of respect."

She looked down, slowly thinking through what I'd told her. "I understand now, Alvdis. May we go to supper?"

I laughed. "Of course."

We went into the corridor, and had only just rounded the corner when we heard laughter and footsteps advancing upon us. It was the royal family, for once all gathered in one place. The Allfather and the Queen were holding hands, Thor was reciting some story of his bravery on the battlefield, and Loki walked behind them all, a brooding expression on his face. It only worsened when he saw me.

Instinctively I dipped into a curtsey, but Týna stood frozen in shock, blinking up at the four of them. "Curtsy," I hissed at her.

She jolted out of her reverie and sloppily obeyed.

"Alvdis! What good fortune," Frigga exclaimed. "We are to take supper privately today. It would please me greatly if you were to join us."

"An honor so great I do not deserve, but gladly accept nonetheless," I replied.

Frigga smiled. "Walk with me."

"Týna, go to the kitchens. Find Ingrid, tell her I sent you. She will take care of you." The small child nodded and scurried off happily. I went to the Queen's side, and we made small talk until we reached our destination. It was a (relatively) small room, with a table in the center and various sculptures and potted plants around the edge. The Allfather and the Queen sat at either end of the table, with the Princes seated on either side. There were two seats, one beside each prince.

I sat beside Prince Thor, mainly because Prince Loki and I hadn't left each other on the most amiable of terms. At the King's signal cooks and the like rushed in and placed dishes piled high with all manner of food before us. There was an awkward silence as Loki stared at me with narrowed eyes. It made me feel uncomfortable, small, worthless; this was undoubtedly what Loki thought me to be.

I felt a heavy wringing in my gut as I thought this. I wanted Loki's opinion of me to be at the very least favorable – not as I assumed it to be now. _This is folly_, I scolded myself internally. _Prince Loki can think of you what he wants. Your wishes mean nothing to him._

King Odin broke the silence. Obviously the family was recommencing a conversation they'd started earlier in the hall, because it began in the middle, leaving me quite confused. "A bad king is he that does not know his people's true opinion of him. My ravens can only do so much; I must find a way to be among the populace myself without being known."

He fixed his heavy gaze upon me. "Alvdis, you come from common stock. Tell me, what do they say of me?"

I carefully phrased my response in my head before speaking. "Your majesty, you are a benevolent leader, who has done greatly by your people and assuredly will continue to do so."

"Are you influenced by your continued close proximity to my wife?"

"I speak the mind of all I have spoken with both in my village and among the servants in your palace, your majesty."

Prince Thor spoke. "It is the court that offers the most threat to you, father. They would not say it to you directly, but there are malcontents in the palace even as we speak." It made sense, I thought to myself. Prince Thor might be seen as all strength and no intelligence, but his reputation was wholly without merit. If not scholarly, he certainly was schooled in the language of politics.

This caused Odin to stop chewing and think deeply for a long moment. "You are right, my son. This brings me back to my original dilemma – I must mingle with the court, disguised. In fact, we all must," he said, looking at his family.

Something suddenly occurred to me. I knew how the King could mingle with those he ruled over without being himself. Prince Loki tilted his head at me; he'd seen something pass over my face when I had the idea.

"Do you have something to say, Alvdis?" he asked coldly. All eyes were on me, but I spoke directly to the King.

"Your majesty, I merely thought of a way for you to speak freely with your people. I am unsure of its worth, but it is something."

"Tell it to me."

"In my village, there is a tradition. When the harvest comes in, we hold a dance, in which all must wear masks to hide their identity. I suggest the same type of celebration here, albeit with much more grandeur."

"That is a great idea!" Thor exclaimed.

The King fixed his gaze on me. "Indeed it is. Frigga is lucky to have you, Alvdis. We will hold this celebration on the last day of the harvest festival, in one month."

I didn't know how to reply to the Allfather. He was actually going to use _my_ idea? I couldn't believe it. I was stupidly silent for a moment, but eventually gathered the wit to say "This is an honor, your majesty."

The rest of the meal went smoothly, the focus firmly away from me, for which I was thankful. As I returned to my room, I saw it was pitch black. I'd stayed out for far too long. There was a man waiting beside my door when I finally arrived.

"Miss Alvdis, I have a letter for you. It is from your father."

"Thank you, sir."

He nodded briskly, turned on his heel, and left. I was too distracted by the letter to even realize he'd called me "Miss Alvdis."

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